Monthly Archives: March 2021

It’s All About The Eyes – Important Tips From Essilor – by Award Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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Our eyes are incredible, aren’t they? Just close them for two minutes and try to walk around your house, or read, or work on the computer or even make a cup of tea … I rest my case.

Yet, often, we don’t treat these irreplaceable beauties with the care they deserve, so these sunglasses tips from eye expert Dr Andy Hepworth from www.essilor.co.uk  are essential.

Thinking of buying new sunnies for this great weather? What influences your choice? How much you’ll resemble an A-lister, or best protection for your eyes? Be honest.

I see? So, over to Dr Hepworth I think:

As well as a fashion accessory, sunglasses should protect eyes from excess UV light that can lead to premature ageing, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. It’s also been linked to corneal sunburn and retinal tissue damage, plus eye strain and headaches. For optimum eye health you should be wearing sunglasses all year round.

Check UV protection of your sunglasses

  1. Check the label and paperwork. Look for a minimum UV 400 protection, with both UVA and UVB protection. A sticker on the lenses saying ‘blocks UV’ is not good enough.
  2. An eye care professional or optician can measure the UV filters.
  3. UV light may filter through scratched lenses so chuck damaged glasses.  
  4. Price doesn’t always indicate quality and UV protection.
  5. All sunglasses sold in the UK should have a CE mark to indicate compliance with regulatory standards, blocking out 95% of all UV rays below 380 nanometres.

Your Vision

  1. Get an eye test if you may need prescription sunglass lenses or specialist coatings.
  2. Larger frames and wrap-arounds can provide better UV protection.
  3. Glare can be distracting and dangerous and aggravates light sensitivity (photophobia). Xperio Polarised technology can help by only allowing vertical light through the lens – making safer driving and providing a high level of UV protection.
  4. Maintain clarity, contrast and colour perception with tinted lenses. For example, Essicolour Tints will reduce distortion to give good clarity. Graduated tint can give a trendy finish.
  5. Just because lenses are ‘dark’ doesn’t automatically mean they offer the right protection.
  6. Photochromic lenses adapt to changing light conditions, whether you’re indoors or out.

Remember, your eyes are extremely valuable and some damage can be irreversible so consider visiting your optician for your next pair of shades. If you’ve any eyesight worries the Essilor website has great information and advice too.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk


Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

Michael Rowan channels his 13-year-old self, to boldly go through Space with this fascinating Blu Ray. Sky Lab (The forerunner to the Space Station) is available to purchase on Blu Ray (£14.50) https://searchingforskylab.com/the-movie/

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July 1969, saw a spellbound thirteen-year-old boy, sat in his pyjamas in front of a flickering black and white television, to watch the first moon landing, and whilst he never grew up to be an astronaut as he planned that evening, he never lost that sense of wonder whenever he looks up the night sky.

From the technology of an oversized black and white television to Blu Ray, the intervening years have not diminished that sense of wonder.

Searching for Skylab, is an award-winning documentary from director Dwight Steven-Boniecki about the NASA space station.

It is a story that has largely been forgotten. However, the Skylab missions were responsible for an incredible array of scientific discoveries before it dramatically crashed into Western Australia in 1979. The missions have provided the scientific community with countless and invaluable information about our planet, the sun, space and the universe itself.

Occupied by three separate teams for 24 weeks between 1973 and 1974, Skylab is the forbearer of the International Space Station (ISS) and is one of mankind’s greatest engineering feats.

Using stunning re-mastered and never-before-seen footage, Searching for Skylab reveals the incredible feats of science and technology achieved by the space station and the NASA astronauts upon it.

Ed Gibson with Al Shepard

Additional interviews from the engineers and their families tell the story of those behind the scenes, and reveal the human side of what it was like to live through one of the most exciting times for space exploration in human history.

This is riveting stuff, a fascinating untold story /documentary, including all the history of the project to create the first American Space Station. It includes lots of interviews with the engineers, astronauts and scientists that were involved with it.

Ed Gibson just egressed Eva Hatch

It tracks from the early moments, through issues to fix, to its final days. It holds the attention so that it is easy to overlook some loose editing in the section around engineering, but perhaps people devoted to engineering would disagree.

This will appeal to space nerds everywhere and anyone even slightly interested in space.

There are so many tales of which I had no knowledge, and I loved the fact that it is a personal story with plenty of endearing anecdotes from the astronauts who spent time on the space station.

It is a very human story with lovely candid interviews.

Runs for 98 fascinating minutes that made me wish that I had become an astronaut after all.

Images courtesy of NASA

https://searchingforskylab.com/the-movie/

 

 

 

 

The Art of Repair by Molly Martin

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the art of repair , molly martin, repair, mend, This is the book we all need in lockdown. Never have we had more time on our hands, and never have we appreciated the value of things more. This book show you how to mindfully mend and breathe new life into the things that you already have. It is also beautifully illustrated. Truly wonderful.

For Molly Martin, it all started with a pair of socks. Her favourite pair. When the heels became threadbare, her mother got out her darning mushroom and showed her how to reinforce the thinning stitches and bring them back to life. She has been stitching and darning ever since.

In The Art of Repair, Molly explores the humble origins of repair and how the act of mending a cherished item carefully by hand offers not just a practical solution but nourishment for the soul. Using her own beautiful illustrations, she guides us through the basics of the craft – from piecing and patching to the ancient Japanese art of Sashiko.

This book will stay with you long after you put down your needle and thread. It offers an antidote to our increasingly disposable lifestyle, encouraging us to reconnect not just with the everyday objects in our environment but also with ourselves.

Available here.

CARIADS’ CHOICE: MARCH BOOK REVIEWS

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Carmel Harrington’s My Pear Shaped Life, reviewed by Kitty Wilson

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Greta Gale, the highs and lows of trying to learn to value yourself. The author wrote empathetically about addiction, body issues and familial relationships. As a reader I was willing Greta on and particularly loved her travels across The States. We could all do with an Uncle like Ray. The author weaves the story of The Wizard of Oz throughout which is exceptionally deftly done, beautifully illustrating the light and the dark within us all.

 

Christina Courtenay’s Echoes of the Runes, reviewed by Kitty Wilson

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, both narratives kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. It was fascinating reading the contemporary storyline and the archaeological detail. The romance kept me hooked and the little bit of jeopardy (no spoilers!) had me willing Mia and Haakon on.

However, it was Ceri and Haukr who captured my heart. I loved this storyline and could have read so much more about them. I rarely find a captive and captor romance convincing but Christina Courtenay writes these characters with such empathy it is impossible not to fall a little in love with them and their story. Am greatly looking forward to the next in the series.

 

Kate Johnson’s Death on the Aisle, reviewed by Evonne Wareham

This is the third book in the Molly Higgins amateur sleuth series from award winning author Kate Johnson, who confidently mixes romance with cosy crime. It can be read as a stand-alone but there are recurring characters and story lines so reading the series in order would be beneficial, and all are enjoyable. The first, Death Comes to Cornwall, was a recent nominee for the Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller of the Year Award. In this third book Kate takes some classic ingredients for romance – hunky hero, capable independent heroine, a Cornish fishing village and a cupcake café and mixes in a celebrity wedding, a film set, a virtual reality show, the wedding planner from hell and a couple of fairly gruesome murders. If you like romance with a hefty dash of crime and sleuthing, it’s an enjoyable read.

 

Carol Lovekin’s Ghostbird, reviewed by Jan Baynham

This is a magical tale that kept me spellbound until the end. I was able to marvel at the figurative language and poetic nature of the prose without it detracting from the pace of the story. The characters are very well drawn, displaying deep emotions, and I was particularly fond of Cadi. Secrets unravelled and the reader journeyed with all the characters to a satisfying conclusion. I loved the interaction between Cadi and the ghost. With its beautiful cover, Ghostbird is a book I thoroughly enjoyed, a book I kept returning to in my thoughts long after I’d finished reading it. Highly recommended.

 

Maisie Thomas’s Secrets of the Railway Girls, reviewed by Jane Cable

I loved the first Railways Girls saga, and the second book in the series did not disappoint. Set in World War Two in Manchester it vividly portrays the lives of women from vastly different backgrounds thrown together to help keep the country’s rail network running.

Although this book focuses on Dot, a working class forty-something grandmother, other stories are woven around hers so cleverly you just have to keep turning the pages. From the horrors of the Christmas blitz to cosy chats in the station tea room, all human nature is here and the writing is so wonderful it draws you in completely. I’m definitely having withdrawal symptoms having finished this one – luckily the next book is due out in April.

 

 

DANCE REVIEW Remembering The Oscars with Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara Streaming Worldwide by Paul Vates

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“If this kind of show floats your boat – you’ll love it”

Strictly Come Dancing professionals perform their own live touring shows with startling regularity. And why not? Without the status and popularity that the television show brings them, how many people would honestly say they would go and watch a 2-hour dance show? This has resulted in making dance a must-see theatrical event – the bonus being that fans get to see their favourites live on stage.

Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara have created their own franchise. Their first touring show was Remembering Fred, then came Remembering The Movies. Last year they were set to tour this show – Remembering The Oscars. Sadly, of course, all the venues closed. But they haven’t been twiddling their thumbs during lockdown! Instead, with an imaginative production team, they have planned the live tour for 2022 and produced this taster for online streaming.

With a strong ensemble of eight excellent dancers, Aljaž and Janette trundle through some of their favourite Oscar winners, sometimes creating medleys like the Disney routine – because there is so much to choose from!

I really like Strictly, yet always get annoyed when the cameras zoom around the dancers, thereby not allowing me to see the actual dancing. Sdaly, this does happen a lot in this show – but, when you do get to see the routines and the exciting choreography by Gareth Walker, it’s worth it. Special mention must go to the singers Giovanni Spanó and the gorgeous Janine Johnson.

Of course, as this is a taster of the live show to come next year – the full show will be amazing! If this kind of show floats your boat – you’ll love it.

Photography Show photographs – Ryan X Howard       Oscar photograph – Colin Thomas

Partner Venues Birmingham Symphony Hall, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Northampton Derngate, The Bridgewater Hall, Edinburgh Festival Theatre,

Cambridge Corn Exchange, Theatre Severn, Llandudno Venue  Cymru, St David’s Hall Cardiff, Marlowe Theatre, Octagon Theatre  and Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre.

Starring Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara  Producer Steven Howard for The TCB Group

Show Director & Choreography Gareth Walker   Musical Supervisor Rob Eckland

Tickets Tickets are £15 per stream and can be purchased online at

www.rememberingtheoscars.com.

You can purchase additional content such as, In Conversation

with Aljaž and Janette and Behind the Scenes with Aljaž and Janette for £5 each.

Performances Streamed until Saturday 17th April 2021   Running Time Just over 1 hour

Twitter @AljazSkorjanec, @JManrara, #RememberingTheOscars

Exciting news – well let’s rephrase – fabulously exciting news for Joffe Books who have – roll of drums… been shortlisted for two awards at the 2021 The British book Awards.

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It has been a truly exciting week for Joffe Books  who are thrilled to share  that they’ve been shortlisted for TWO awards at The British Book Awards this year.

Not only have they been shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year for the second year in a row, but … but … THE PATIENT MAN by hugely popular bestselling author Joy Ellis has been shortlisted as Book of the Year in the Fiction: Crime & Thriller category.

This past year has been one of growth for Joffe Books and how brilliant that such a hard working team with an unerring knack for picking readable excellent novels has been recognised in this way.

The message from Joffe is  Thank you so much for supporting us, following us and loving our authors as much as we do. www.joffebooks.comWe’re so grateful to our lovely readers.

Now, more suggestions for Joffe Books this week.

 

BLOODSTAINED. by Rebecca Bradley 99P / 99C
“Tense, tightly written and I couldn’t put it down until I was done. A definite five stars” Angela Marsons, author of Twisted Lies
“Honestly one of the most gripping – and thoroughly disturbing – things I’ve read in a while. It’s like watching a mind slowly unravel.” Cass Green, author of The Killer Inside

THE DETECTIVE CALLADINE& BAYLISS mystery series by Helen H Durrant: Books 1 – 9 a great value box set –  99P / 99C!
Durrant, the bestselling author  has sold over one million books worldwide. Her bestselling Calladine & Bayliss series is phenomenal with great characters, intriguing plots and plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

I SEE YOU by Patricia MacDonald 99p/99c
Page turning thriller from a bestselling author:  The Whitmans seem to be the perfect family and that’s just what they want you to believe.Desperate to put their past behind them, they relocated to a small town and although they had to leave everything behind, at least they’re safe. Until now . . .

MURDER IN PEMBROKESHIRE  by Gretta Mulrooney.99P/99C

Meet Detective Tyrone Swift. He takes the cases that the police have given up on. Now he’s been invited to stay with a friend, Afan Griffith, in rural wales. There’s no wifi, no phone signal, and when he arrives there’s no Afan either.  He’s gone missing and Swift is unable to locate any witnesses. Things get much worse when a body is discovered the next day . . .

MURDER AT THE CASTLE by Jeanne M.Dams  £1.99 / $2.99

Amateur sleuth Dorothy Martin is back and once again she’s become embroiled in a tragedy.  Rehearsals for a local music festival are barely underway when one of the singers falls to her death before Dorothy’s eyes.
Her solo turned into a scream. Can Dorothy uncover if this was simply an accident or something more sinister?

And finally:

Three audio books featuring Detective Maddie Ives, a firm favourite – enjoy.  And Frost Magazine will keep you posted on The British Book Awards, but now we’re off  for a glass of bubbly to celebrate Joffe Books‘ success so far.

www.joffebooks.com 

PLAY REVIEW Scaramouche Jones or The Seven White Masks Streaming Online by Paul Vates

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“For a script about a clown there is a distinct lack of fun”

Scaramouche Jones is a clown. He’s 100-years-old and has a need to tell his life story – which he has split into seven parts. Although it is never made clear why he speaks to us or, for that matter, why he is recording it on numerous cameras, Justin Butcher’s script takes us through a century of events which, implausible or not, go some way to explain the man before us.

Shane Richie revels in the part – ninety minutes of performance that would be a challenge for any actor. Playing all the parts, including an array of tremendous accents, Richie proves he is a deep and thoughtful performer with Scaramouche being as rounded as any Shakespearaean role. Except in one aspect: humour.

Surprisingly for a script about a clown there is a distinct lack of fun and joy from Scaramouche. It is, instead, a dark play. It resides in the shadows and gives Richie little opportunity to make us laugh. Rather, we have to take his word for it that he is a clown at all. If I’m not convinced that he is a clown, can I really believe his incredible story?

The design is simple and affecting – a subterranean world that is both a dressing room and rehearsal room. It feels cold, damp and lonely down here. It is a place where the imagination can run free, untouched by the real world upstairs and outside. So, again, can I really believe Scaramouche’s incredible story?

Co-produced by Ginger Quiff Media, this follows on from last year’s play Rose starring Maureen Lipman. Rose managed a life story that had its fair share of light and shade in the telling, something lacking in Scaramouche Jones. Directed by Ian Talbot, Shane Richie is as interesting as he can be with a script stuck in one gear and it being a virtual experience. Because, let us never forget, this beast of a play would be very different if Richie could bounce off a live and appreciative audience.

Photography Bonnie Britain

Producers Thomas Hopkins & Michael Quinn for Ginger Quiff Media, Amy Hart,

Guy Chapman and Bailey Harris-Kelly with Stream.Theatre

Director Ian Talbot

Writer Justin Butcher

Production Designer Andrew Exeter

Tickets Tickets are £15 per stream (plus booking fee) and can be purchased

online at www.stream.theatre

Performances Streamed until Sunday 11th April 2021

Running Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Twitter @Gingerqmedia, @realshanerichie, @stream_theatre

Books To Sink Your Teeth Into.

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the woman who ran away sheila o'flanagan.The Women Who Ran Away by Sheila O’Flanagan.

Another brilliant novel from Sheila O’Flanagan.

Deira isn’t the kind of woman to steal a car. Or drive to France alone with no plan. But then, Deira didn’t expect to be single. Or to suddenly realise that the only way she can get the one thing she wants most is to start breaking every rule she lives by.

Grace has been sent on a journey by her late husband, Ken. She doesn’t really want to be on it but she’s following his instructions, as always. She can only hope that the trip will help her to forgive him. And then – finally – she’ll be able to let him go.

Brought together by unexpected circumstances, Grace and Deira find that it’s easier to share secrets with a stranger, especially in the shimmering sunny countryside of Spain and France. But they soon find that there’s no escaping the truth, whether you’re running away from it or racing towards it . .

The Woman Who Ran Away is available here.

 

without a trace, mari hannah

Without a Trace by Mari Hannah.

A gripping novel from a brilliant and imaginative  crime writer.

A FATAL CRASH

A plane on route from London to New York City has disappeared out of the sky. This breaking news dominates every TV channel, every social media platform, and every waking hour of the Metropolitan Police and US Homeland Security.

A PRIVATE TRAGEDY

The love of DCI Kate Daniels’ life was on that aircraft, but she has no authority to investigate. This major disaster is outside of her jurisdiction and she’s ordered to walk away.

A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH

But Kate can’t let it lie. She has to find out what happened to that plane – even if it means going off book. No one is safe.

And there are some very dangerous people watching her…

Without a Trace is available here. 

The Shipyard Girls on the Home Front.

Another book in the popular saga. Brilliant as ever.

December 1943

As the war effort gathers steam in Europe, it’s all hands on deck on the home front.

Gloria is over the moon to be reunited with her sweetheart Jack. But her sons Bobby and Gordon are away with the Navy and still know nothing of their mother’s divorce and new half-sister.

Rosie’s squad of welders must work gruelling hours in the yard as they prepare for the Allied invasion of Normandy. All the while Rosie herself waits anxiously for news of her husband Peter, who is carrying out dangerous work as an undercover operative in France.

Meanwhile welder Dorothy has a feeling that her beau Toby is planning to pop the question when he’s next on leave. But it seems that her head is being turned by someone closer to home…

It will take great strength and friendship if the shipyard girls are to weather the storms to come.

The Shipyard Girls on the Home Front is available here. 

Bessie’s War by Pam Evans.

Great for lovers of wartime fiction.

It is autumn 1940 and, as the bombs drop on London, a close-knit community struggles to survive.

Working at the local post office, Bessie Green does her best to keep her customers’ spirits up, but when she receives a telegram addressed to her parents, there’s nothing she can do to prevent the heartache that lies ahead.

Then Bessie hears that eleven-year-old Daisy Mason has been orphaned in a blast, and she’s sure that taking Daisy into their home is just what her parents need to help them overcome their grief. At first, Daisy won’t settle, then her handsome brother Josh comes back on leave and things look up for all of them. But the war brings further challenges for Bessie and her friends – with more hearts broken and loved-ones lost – before they can dare to dream of a brighter future…

Bessie’s War by Pam Evans is available here. 

Blackout by Simon Scarrow.

Riveting and fast-paced. It keeps you reading.

Berlin, December 1939

As Germany goes to war, the Nazis tighten their terrifying grip. Paranoia in the capital is intensified by a rigidly enforced blackout that plunges the city into oppressive darkness every night, as the bleak winter sun sets.

When a young woman is found brutally murdered, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is under immense pressure to solve the case, swiftly. Treated with suspicion by his superiors for his failure to join the Nazi Party, Schenke walks a perilous line – for disloyalty is a death sentence.

The discovery of a second victim confirms Schenke’s worst fears. He must uncover the truth before evil strikes again.

As the investigation takes him closer to the sinister heart of the regime, Schenke realises there is danger everywhere – and the warring factions of the Reich can be as deadly as a killer stalking the streets . . .

Blackout by Simon Scarrow is available here.

The Operator by Gretchen Berg.

The Operator by Gretchen Berg.

This brilliant book is out now on paperback. Read our review here.

It’s 1952. The switchboard operators in Wooster, Ohio, love nothing more than to eavesdrop on their neighbours’ conversations, and gossip about what they learn. Vivian Dalton is no different (despite her teenage daughter’s disapproval), and always longs to hear something scandalous. But on the night of December 15th, she wishes she hadn’t. The secret that’s shared by a stranger on the line threatens to rip the rug of Vivian’s life from under her.

Vivian may be mortified, but she’s not going to take this lying down. She wants the truth, no matter how painful it may be. But one secret tends to lead to another . . .

This moving, heart-felt and ultimately uplifting novel brilliantly weaves together an irresistible portrayal of a town buzzing with scandal, and an unforgettable story of marriage, motherhood and the unbreakable ties of family.

The Operator by Gretchen Berg is available here.

the embalmer by Alison Belsham

The Embalmer by Alison Belsham

A fantastic serial-killer story that draws you in and does not let go.

Has the ancient Egyptian cult of immortality resurfaced in Brighton?

When a freshly-mummified body is discovered at the Brighton Museum of Natural History, Detective Francis Sullivan is at a loss to identify the desiccated woman. But as Egyptian burial jars of body parts with cryptic messages attached start appearing, he realises he has a serial killer on his hands. Revenge, obsession and an ancient religion form a potent mix, unleashing a wave of terror throughout the city. Caught in a race against time while battling his own demons, Francis must fight to uncover the true identity of the Embalmer before it’s too late…

The Embalmer by Alison Belsham

Cult Writers.

I really loved this book. It features a great collection of writers to learn more about.

WHAT MAKES A CULT WRITER? 

Whether pioneering in their craft, fiercely and undeniably unique or critically divisive, cult writers come in all shapes and guises. Some gain instant fame, others instant notoriety, and more still remain anonymous until a chance change in fashion sees their work propelled into the limelight.

Cult Writers introduces 50 novelists deserving of a cult status. The literary genres and subjects explored within these writers’ pages are rich and diverse – acting as mirrors of their genius minds. FromIrvine Welsh’s gritty Edinburgh streets, to Ken Kesey’s drug-fuelled madness; from feminist trailblazer Sylvia Plath to the magical realism of Angela Carter – discover little knowns with small, devout followings and superstars gracing the covers of magazines. Each writer is special in their individuality and their ability to inspire, antagonise and delight.

Cult Writers is an essential addition to any book lover’s library, as well as an entertaining introduction to our weird and wonderful world of literature.

Also in the series: Cult Artists, Cult Filmmakers + Cult Musicians

The writers: 
Kathy Acker, James Baldwin, J.G. Ballard, Mikhail Bulgakov, Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs, Octavia E. Butler, Italo Calvino, Albert Camus, Angela Carter, Colette, Maryse Conde, Julio Cortazar, Philip K. Dick, Douglas Coupland, Marguerite Duras, Ralph Ellison, Elena Ferrante, Janet Frame, Jean Genet, Joseph Heller, Michel Houellebecq, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Ken Kesey, Chris Kraus, Milan Kundera, Ursula K. Le Guin, Doris Lessing, Cormac McCarthy, Carson McCullers, Yukio Mishima, Haruki Murakami, Anais Nin, Sylvia Plath, Thomas Pynchon, Raymond Queneau, Ayn Rand, Pauline Reage, Jean Rhys, Juan Rulfo, Francoise Sagan, J.D. Salinger, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Donna Tartt, Jim Thompson, J.R.R. Tolkien, Kurt Vonnegut, Virginia Woolf, Irvine Welsh.

Cult writers is available here.